Balancing Screen Time and Study Time: Tips for Parents
One of the curses of modern parenting is the battle around screen time. Not only how often your children are on their screens but also how extended use has been shown to affect concentration, sleep patterns, and schoolwork.
With children getting smartphones at an increasingly young age (recent research has shown that by the age of 11, over 90% of children in the UK have their smartphone) and having access to TVs, tablets, video games, and computers, kids are getting much more screen time than previous generations.
A report found that teenagers spend an average of 8 hours 39 minutes per day on screens, compared to 5 and a half hours for preteen children.
With online content designed to engage and stimulate kids' brains, it can be a worry to see kids on their screens constantly. However, it's also important to remember that a lot of what kids do online is age-appropriate and healthy, from chatting to friends on messaging apps to listening to music and watching social media in their downtime. To find the right balance, here's what you need to know.
What are the academic concerns with too much screen time?
Recent government research suggests that children exposed to longer than two hours a day of recreational screen time on smartphones and playing video games had worse working memory, processing speed, attention levels, language skills and executive function than those who did not.
Constant exposure to fast-paced digital content reduces a student's ability to focus on schoolwork, which requires focus and attention to detail.
Part of the problem with screen time is that it's passive. Because children aren't actively engaging in any way, they are not using their reasoning skills.
Social media and video games are also designed to be fast and stimulating. Constant exposure to this quick, changing content can train a child's brain to expect rapid feedback, making it harder to concentrate on slower, more focused tasks like reading or problem-solving.
Prolonged screen time can cause mental fatigue, making it difficult to focus, especially on tasks that require deep thinking. Screen use also encourages immediate responses, reducing the patience needed to concentrate on tasks requiring time, effort, and persistence. This can make studying or focusing on complex subjects more difficult.
Signs your child may be being affected by too much screen time
1. Decline in academic performance. A drop in grades, test scores, or general performance that you can't link to anything obvious.Late homework. If your child frequently misses homework deadlines or procrastinates more than usual, screen time might distract them.
2. Difficulty concentrating. If your child has trouble focusing on school tasks, homework, or reading for extended periods, it may be a sign that screen stimulation reduces their ability to concentrate on less stimulating tasks.
3. Inability to sleep. Excessive screen time, especially before bed, can interfere with sleep patterns. Poor sleep directly impacts concentration, memory, and academic performance.
4. Irritability and mood swings when you ask them to stop gaming or put their phone away.
5. Excessive passive consumption (watching videos or playing games) that reduces engagement in more creative or educational activities, like reading and drawing.
6. Decreased reading and comprehension skills and a lower ability to retain what they are reading
What is healthy screen time?
So, what equals healthy? While this differs for every person, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry believes positive and healthy screen use is possible with proper guidance and consistency.
Their tips include limiting time on devices and encouraging screen time that is age-appropriate, interactive, non-violent, and pro-social.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) advises that children should have screen-free days or a two-hour window a day for screens.
For teens, the advice is to implement healthy screen time that's right for your child, but be aware of the adverse signs (see above) of too much time on screens.
How to implement a healthy screen time
It's never too early to develop a screen-time plan with your family. Talking about how you use screens as a family may help encourage healthy usage for everyone.
1. Implement rules such as making homework and revision time - gaming, messaging and social media-free zones (as many will still have to use screens to access homework).
2. With kids who can't help reaching for screens, set up a work area in a communal area to help keep them on task.
3. Balance up screen time with other activities. Say they can have X amount of time on screens if they read for X amount of time and do homework first.
4. Set a good example to your kids with healthy screen habits. The adverse effects of too much screen time on kids are the same as those on adults.
5. Remember the right plan for one family may not be a good fit for another. Do what's suitable for your family.
6. Ask your child what they consider healthy screen time; if their answer differs significantly from yours, find a compromise.
Related reading
How to support your child's learning at home